Anne couldn't stop the shaking. Sitting on her knees she looked down at her hands, they were tied tightly together by a dirty cord which had begun to draw blood. The pain from her wrists was nothing against the still throbbing pain across her chest where she had received a kick no less then ten minutes ago though. Dressed in only a torn t-shirt and brown pants she felt the blood easily soak her to the skin as her captor continued to play with her.
Standing before her the super mutant seemed as if something taken out of a nightmare and given life. Perhaps it was? Perhaps the joint fears, pains and squabbles of mankind had created this monster, the things leaping out of broken human skulls like some sort of perverted gods?
The monster was a full eight feet tall and all green muscles, its body was covered in numerous plates of steel that must have been scavenged from a car and its bald skull covered with scars, as if it had broken and healed time and time again. It was grinning at her, as it had for the last thirty minutes, the skull of what had once been her friend Josh was nothing but a squashed piece of brain and bones held in the vice grip of the mutant pouring Josh's blood over her.
She knew better then to protest now, knowing that the beast was merely waiting for an excuse to hurt her again. And what did she have to put against it? Even if she hadn't been tied up and unarmed the thing held a damn minigun in its other hand! Almost forgotten...as if it didn't weight anything at all, she wouldn't have been able to lift it even!
"You look weak human! We should eat you, no good for green stuff!" Ignoring the beast had gotten easier after the first day as captive and now Anne couldn't even get afraid of it any more, in fact she welcomed being eaten, at least that would end this cycle of pain and disgrace...
They were on a platform of riveted steel atop a high hill of gravel and junk, massive metal beams with sharpened ends stuck up on three sides of the platform, forming a sort of improvised fence. They were covered in blood, as was the platform itself, the large net bags hanging from some of the beams still dripped with blood from their gory content.
Behind the super mutant leader a small path lead to the mutant camp, nestled in behind a wooden barricade and a building from the DC ruins. Two more super mutant stood around the filthy beds and the packs of ammo, no doubt having another of their inane conversations even as they hefted those amazingly heavy sledges as if they were straws.
The path then took a sharp turn to the left and snaked its way down to the water and the small dirt road leading east...she had been so close to getting to Rivet city, so close that the mere thought of it brought fresh tears to her eyes. The mutant that had caught her still stood there, hidden behind a barricade with his hunting rifle raise to get the drop on the next fool who thought they could get past.
"Agh! You are weak! You are still leaking!" The mutant roared out, a hint of frustration in his rough voice. Anne couldn't care less what he thought of her...it was over, she would soon be dead, it didn't matter how, as long as it ended...
A massive hand suddenly grabbed her by the throat and hoisted her into the air, the bloody left overs of Josh were smeared over her throat, making the grip slippery, to which the mutant simply adjusted to by squeezing harder. Gasping for air she found herself face to face with the nightmarish demon, her feet dangling uselessly in the air.
Dropping his weapon the monster reached out for her hands, covering them both with a single fist. The grip was rough, enough to make her bones ache, her moan of pain didn't stop him of course and he quickly forced her arms up above her head. Then he released her.
Struggling for air Anne realised she was hanging from the tallest steel beam by her bindings. Her feet still didn't touch the ground and a bag of blood soaked flesh bumped against the small of her back whenever she tried to move. Her arms were already aching and the pain of the cord now really digging into her wrists was excruciating. She felt fresh blood drip down into her already soaked hair, her blood...
The monster's grin actually widened as he sniffed at her. "You look tasty!" He reached out and grabbed Anne's side, the massive hand closing around her stomach...she groaned as the pressure increased. "I will eat this first! Keep you fresh!" A scream actually escaped Anne as she felt blood begin to pour out of side, the mutant slowly ripping into her...
She wanted this in a way, but God...it was actually happening!
"No! No! Stop! Please!" She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of hearing her beg, yet the words spilled out of her, something primitive within her still trying to get her free when all was lost. She kicked out with the last ounce of her strength, her foot merely bounced off an arm that seemed to be made of steel.
"Ha! Good one!" Dark spots started to appear before her eyes while the mutant slowly...ever so slowly begun to dig into her.
Then he stopped.
Anne blinked, forcing the dark spots away with some difficulty and struggled to focus her blurry vision. The mutant wasn't paying her any attention anymore, instead he was reaching for his minigun, the movement faster then one would think such a beast capable of.
Then she heard the familiar sound of a gun going off. Turning her still sore neck to the left she saw the mutant standing sentry stagger back, a wound across his skull. Then another shape appeared, far smaller, moving right at the massive monster as it raised its gun to fire back.
The figure skidded below the raised rifle, the shot missing wide even as a pistol was placed against the kneecap of the monster.
Now she could see the opponent of the monster clearly. The man was surprisingly young, he barely looked twenty. His muscled bulk was covered in a deep blue jumpsuit with a pair of worn yellow letters etched across the back, the right shoulder was protected by a triangular piece of stiff leather fastened to the jumpsuit that matched his neatly cropped hair.
He was dirty like anyone in this day but...there seemed to be no ravages of time or radiation upon him, not even the hardships that anyone in the wasteland had to endure seemed to have left a mark in those determined grey eyes focused on his massive opponent. Anne felt a shiver run down her spine, it couldn't be...
With an explosion of blood the mutant's knee was blown apart and the creature fell backwards, uselessly stretching out its arms to balance itself. Using the opportunity the man grabbed its rifle and put a worn boot against the chest of the monster while taking aim at the face roaring back at him. But...it had to be...
The man emptied the entire clip of his pistol, the beast shuddered....and died.
Anne felt her mouth move silently, trying to process the information. The beast...had died. "Get him!" One of the mutants roared as it and the one next to it rushed down the slope towards the man, sledges held high.
With a tug and a flourish the man put the rifle that just a moment had been used on him against his shoulder, took aim...and continued aiming. Anne blinked. He looked so calm.
The bullet struck one of the sledges, ripping the weapon out of the mutants hands. Grunting the dumb beast rushed back to retrieve it even as the man dropped to one knee, casually putting a barricade between himself and Anne's torturer as the massive minigun finally begun to spit death.
The wooden barricade seemed to explode in splinters under the heavy fire. Only the fact that the still charging mutant suddenly grabbed its eye with a roar of pain told Anne that the man was still alive, however odd it might be.
The charge was about the hit home, her torturer seizing his fire to let the attack get through. Another bang and the attacking super mutant's head snapped back, blood flying from the ruins of its other eye. Somehow it continued its charge though, the sledge coming straight down at the man.
Sidestepping he let the sledge slam into the dirt as he whipped out, the stock of his rifle catching the beast in the face and knocking it on its back. Anne suddenly heard the whine of the minigun about to open up again...before it could the man spun around and fired. With a growl of anger Anne's terrorizer tossed away the weapon moments before the box beneath it begun to buckle with exploding ammunition.
"Impossible..." Anne managed to whisper, crusted flakes of blood falling off her lips.
Once more turning around the man finished off the blinded mutant, coming down on one knee he crashed his rifle into its skull. Again and again he struck down at it, finally breaking the skull even as the stock of the rifle cracked.
Then Anne saw the other sledge armed mutant bear down on him.
"Look out!" The words were but a croak and Anne wondered if they actually reached the man. He still turned though, spinning to his feet and away from the dead mutant he dodged the sweeping sledge as the mutant passed him. A sweeping movement told Anne that the man somehow had gotten hold of the other sledge, letting the momentum of the weapon carry itself around.
With a crack the mutant fell to his knees, the back of his head spilling out. Another blow, this time double handed and with a barely perceived groan...and the whole head was turned into mush.
"You will die!" The largest of the mutants now came down, wielding two sledges at once and looking so angry that steam seemed to rise from his shoulders. "I will eat your skull!"
"Perhaps." It was the first time the man spoke, the voice was almost casual and far from the rough one Anne had expected. He sounded so...innocent. "I doubt it though." Reaching behind the small of his back he pulled forth a weapon, a combat knife...it looked pitiful against the massive armoured beast coming down upon him.
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"You're hurt." There was compassion in the voice and Anne couldn't bring herself to point out how obvious that was. She felt her chest tighten at the sight of the, apparently unharmed, man as he reached out with a combat knife and cut her bindings, quickly catching her as she slipped on the bloody floor.
"I...I can't believe it." Anne gasped as the man guided her to sit down, rough hands quickly moving to a small satchel to retrieve a bundle of bandages as well what looked to be a fortune in stimpacks.
"Mutants are known for their harsh treatment of humans, prisoners no exception." The man answered, apparently thinking she was referring to her injuries. He really was innocent...in a way. Anne watched as he with ease born out of practice covered her wounds and injected a stimpack into each wrist.
"No I mean...I mean..." Anne felt her head swim, the black spots repapering. Another injection of stims, this time into the her neck, cleared the worst of it away and Anne felt fresh energy flood into her body. With it the pain came back. "Ouch..."
"Lets look at that wound shall we?" The man reached down and carefully lifted her shirt, funnily enough as little as possible to show the injury. Must be gay...or perhaps he really was...no he couldn't be so righteous...not in this world. "This looks bad, hang on."
Anne leant back against one of the metal beams, watching as the injury was wrapped in what had to be the last bandages in the man's satchel...and then how he emptied a fully four stimpacks into her wound without even hesitating for a moment. "Those are expensive..."
"And a life is priceless." He retorted while administering a fifth injection. Anne felt herself taken aback by the simplicity of the argument, there was no reality in it, nothing tied to the world they lived in. Was he a fool? He didn't look like a fool, he looked...untarnished and strong, separated from the filthy world by more then his actions. He was a different reality.
Enjoying the feel of her pain disappearing and the careful hands checking her injuries Anne leant back and closed her eyes. "I've heard of you you know...the urban legend." There was no reply. "I really thought you were just that, a legend."
"I do what I can." Of course he didn't brag, one would have expected it from anyone else, but not him. "Can you stand? Or do you need another injection?"
He meant it, he was just...offering it. Anne smiled as she looked at the man, he was looking straight back. There was pride in those eyes, not the grim I-am-the-hardest-man-in-the-wastes kind of pride, the one found in so many professional killers... No, this was the pride of one who knew himself to stand for the right.
Suddenly she believed.
"No, I can stand, thank you, I feel...better." Taking the offered hand she pulled herself to her feet. Actually she felt more then better, she felt...great. Her body still ached of course, but her heart felt lighter then it had for years, she felt like she could run a marathon if only he asked it of her.
"Rivet city is to east along the banks. It is not far." He gestured in the general direction of the safe city. "Take this." Anne felt numb at the sight of the small bag of caps being dropped into her hands.
"You're not coming with me?" Anne groaned inwardly at the desperation in her voice, she didn't want him to leave, to make her wonder if it had all been a dream... "I mean, just in case..."
The man shook his head. "No can do, I have to keep your back safe." At the questioning frown he raised an arm, pointing over towards the Jefferson memorial. Anne's eyes widened as she saw the large group of mutants approaching in a sluggish run, spread out in a skirmish line with weapons raised it was clear that they knew the pair was there.
"You...you can't just sacrifice yourself...not like that." She felt cold at the thought of robbing the wasteland of the hero Three dog so often spoke of, she wouldn't be able to look anyone in the eyes ever again if that happened...
"I didn't say I would, I'll merely make sure you get clear." He smiled at the doubting look she gave him, resting the still broken rifle against his shoulder as he said: "Believe me."
The words sent a shiver down her spine, she smiled, if he said he could do it, he could do it. There wasn't room for doubt in that stance, no room for fear or pain. He was above that.
"Now get going." He gave her a friendly push, a small chuckle escaping him, as if he found her stare amusing. Despite the situation Anne found herself blushing.
A bang made her look up, the vault legend was down on one knee now, rifle against his shoulder as he with a concentrated frown begun firing down at the approaching horde. He seemed to have forgotten her, a look off peace upon his face as his shots sent mutants sprawling, their superior strength as nothing against the mere destiny he projected.
When she ran towards Rivet city Anne begun laughing with relief.
The future didn't look so bleak anymore!